Think you can take enough calories out of your diet to hit a weight loss target? There might be a more effective approach. Consider the findings of a study published in The Journal of Nutrition that compares 12 weeks of calorie restriction to the same period of calorie restriction with moderate exercise.

Researchers put 82 men and women with an average age of 39 on a diet that restricted calories to a range of 500 to 800 per day. Some also entered a program that involved 2.5 hours of walking each week.

Compared to measurements taken before the program began, calorie restriction helped subjects lose an average of 15.4 pounds including 10.5 pounds of fat mass. Subjects who added walking to their dieting efforts lost an average of 19.4 pounds including 14.1 pounds of fat mass.